Friday, June 29, 2007

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Shame On Me?

To those (few) who have defended Sue (and I'm confident you were put up to it), why do so anonymously? So far, the only one to identify themselves is Ric Roy (thank you Richard). Why not come forward and tell me who you are and what you know?

Because I can assure you that in the year that Ms. Sutherland has been in charge I have heard NOTHING.

It's bad enough to have my sister die the way she did, but don't you think secrets and cover-ups would be the last thing I could tolerate at this point? For that, I can go back to the SQ.

Unfunded? UNFUNDED? No, I don't think Sue is unfunded. Maybe not by me - and judging from the accusatory email I've received lately you'd swear I was Scrooge - funding was never part of the deal. I've gone well into debt over this affair, I've got nothing to give. But I do not believe that Ms. Sutherland is unfunded. You'll need to ask her about that, but thank god for friends of Theresa (from 29 years ago) who do what they do because they love her (and it's a shame that their generosity should be abused).

Antisocial Personality Disorder is also known as psychopathy orsociopathy. Individuals with this disorder have little regard for the feeling and welfare of others. As a clinical diagnosis it is usually limited to those over age 18. It can be diagnosed in younger people if the they commit isolated antisocial acts and do not show signs ofanother mental disorder.

Antisocial Personality Disorder is chronic, beginning in adolescence and continuing throughout adulthood. There are ten general symptoms:

not learning from experience

no sense of responsibility

inability to form meaningful relationships

inability to control impulses

lack of moral sense

chronically antisocial behavior

no change in behavior after punishment

emotional immaturity

lack of guilt

self-centeredness

People with this disorder may exhibit criminal behavior. They may not work. If they do work, they are frequently absent or may quit suddenly. They do not consider other people's wishes, welfare or rights. They can be manipulative and may lie to gain personal pleasure or profit. They may default on loans, fail to provide child support, or fail to care for their dependents adequately. High risk sexual behavior and substance abuse are common. Impulsiveness, failure to plan ahead, aggressiveness, irritability, irresponsibility,and a reckless disregard for their own safety and the safety ofothers are traits of the antisocial personality.

Socioeconomic status, gender, and genetic factors play a role. Males are more likely to be antisocial than females. Those from lower socioeconomic groups are more susceptible. A family history of the disorder puts one at higher risk.

There are many theories about the cause of Antisocial Personality Disorder including experiencing neglectful parenting as a child, low levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, and belief that antisocial behavior is justified because of difficult circumstances. Psychotherapy, group therapy, and family therapy are common treatments. The effects of medical treatment are inconclusive. Unfortunately, most people with Antisocial Personality Disorder reject treatment. Therefore, recovery rates are low.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

I do love this story from 2003, "BCS Seeks Higher Profile"... They got it now!

CanWest Global Communications Corp.

August 13, 2003 Wednesday Final Edition

HEADLINE: Bishop's College seeks higher profile

SOURCE: The Gazette

The new headmaster of Bishop's College School says his priority is to raise the public profile of the private prep school in the Eastern Townships and to "bring it out" from under the shadow of Bishop's University.

"I want our school to stand alone and to be recognized on its own merits," Lewis Evans said yesterday.

"We have a phenomenal history that goes back to 1836. The first half of that history we share with Bishop's University; the second half is our own."

There are about 260 students at the co-educational school in Lennoxville. Forty per cent of them are from outside Canada.

"It's a real eye-opener," Evans said. "We have students from about 25 countries, and at least 16 mother tongues on campus."

Evans became the 27th headmaster in the school's 167-year history. His father was a housemaster at Bishop's College School in the 1940s; as a boy, Evans was raised in an apartment on the third floor of the school.

He has taught there since 1976, and most recently was the school's director of development. He replaces Nancy Layton, headmaster for the past eight years.

Bishop's College is a boarding school; tuition is $30,000 a year, or $35,000 for international students. Evans says that makes its mandate doubly exacting, because it has to be both a home and a school.

"Our motto is recti cultus pectora roborant - learning properly strengthens character - so we have to deliver on character development," he said.

SHERBROOKE - For the second time in less than a year, Bishop's College School in Lennoxville is facing a lawsuit against the conduct of a former staff member. An alumnus has made allegations of sexual assault dating back to 1966. The plaintiff recently filed a $1 million claim in Montreal against the former employee and BCS.

"The school takes this stuff very seriously," said BCS chairman David Stenason. "Our main priority is the well-being of our students, staff and alumni."

A 53-year-old Montreal man alleges the perpetrator was a dormitory monitor who worked in the students' residence in the 1960s. Christian Cloche is a French citizen who worked as an assistant in the 1966-'67 school year. The Journal de Montreal reported yesterday that the plaintiff claimed Cloche would visit him in his dormitory bedroom, remove his pants and demand he participate in masturbation.

It wasn't until 2004 that the plaintiff revealed this information to a therapist whom he still sees regularly, the Montreal newspaper reported.

Stenason said that Cloche now lives in Geneva, Switzerland. He could not be reached by The Record.

The lawsuit that has been filed contains allegations that have not been proven in a court of law.

"This person only worked at the school for a year," Stenason told The Record.

Bishop's College School was an all-boys school until 1972 when the facility merged with the neighbouring girls' school, King's Hall Compton.

Stenason said that BCS will not post another public statement on its website for the school community, as it did in October 2006, as he said these new allegations aren't as far-reaching as the request for court authorization for a class action suit that was filed last fall.

That lawsuit was begun by a former student against the now deceased Reverend Harold Theodore Gibson Forster, a BCS staffer between 1958 and 1965. The plaintiff and 10 other students claimed they were sexually assaulted by the school's reverend.

That case has yet to be heard in court; Stenason gathered that preliminaries in the case would be heard later this year or in early 2008.

In the meantime, Stenason is confident in the school's current code of conduct, which he calls "very strict." Additionally, there is a full-time psychological counsellor at BCS available to students.

Lawyer James Woods, who is overseeing the most recent file in Montreal, did not return The Record's call before press time.

Bishop's College School is a boarding and day school for grades seven through 12, founded in 1836.

HEADLINE: More victims?: New BCS allegationsBYLINE: Brion Robinson, The Record

SHERBROOKE - New alleged victims, including one Eastern Townships resident, have come forward with sexual abuse allegations against Lennoxville borough's Bishop's College School since a former student sought court permission to file a multi-million class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and others.

"I was just advised of a new victim last night," Brian McPhadden, one of two lawyers representing the plaintiff, told The Record Tuesday.

The documents, filed in Superior Court in Montreal in mid-October by a man known only by the initials A.B.T., estimate there are at least 10 other victims.

The 58-year-old plaintiff lives in Vancouver and states in court documents that he was a BCS resident between 1958 and 1965. It claims he and other school boys were sexually abused by the now deceased Reverend Harold Theodore Gibson Forster, who was a house master, school chaplain, teacher and choirmaster.

The alleged abuse, which included beating the boy's bare buttocks with a comb before massaging them, allegedly occurred in 1962 when the victim was 14.

A.B.T.'s Quebec legal representative is Irwin Liebman. He said these types of cases are becoming more common in the legal system.

"What we're seeing is more litigation than before and more people willing to see the process through," he said.

McPhadden said A.B.T. will not speak with media, but he said his client is "upbeat" and "determined to see the court case through."

Papers were served on the school Oct. 24, BCS board chairman David Stenason confirmed, noting the parents of some 260 current students and tens of thousands of alumni have been informed of the situation by way of a one-page letter.

Stenason, who graduated from BCS 31 years ago, also said he was unaware of any new accusations, adding he expected alleged victims to contact a lawyer before communicating with the school.

The A.B.T. suit seeks $13 million from the school for liability in hiring, employing and inadequately supervising Forster, as well as damages of $13 million for "breach of duty of care."

The suit also seeks $4 million in punitive and exemplary damages, $2 million for aggravated damages as well as special damages to be determined at trial.

McPhadden, who has been involved in similar cases, also said the dollar figures could rise.

"It signifies to the defendant the magnitude of what happened," he said, noting it would be a benefit to both sides to reach an early agreement.

An early resolution would save the school legal fees and not be so damaging to its reputation, he said.

But he added that "the lawyers can say whatever they want and whatever number they want, but the verdict is up to the courts to decide."

Although the events are alleged to have happened almost 50 years ago and the accused Forster died in 1967, Lawyers Liebman and McPhadden say they are confident they have a strong case.

Many former students have already come forward, Liebman said, and they have brought a lot of evidence to the table.

There's little doubt the abuse ended after Forster's departure, McPhadden said, adding that the private school is responsible for its students' well-being.

"The school was staging a parental role," he said.

The Toronto law firm's Web site states that after the school is served with court documents "the firm will seek a claims resolution agreement with the school. Should agreement not prove possible at an early stage, a court hearing to certify the action as a class proceeding will be scheduled."

Liebman said the hearing could take place as early as mid-2007.

The lawyers are still waiting to hear from the school.

"It's too soon to say if we would consider a settlement," Stenason said. "I wouldn't want to comment on behalf of the school too early."

Speaking on behalf of A.B.T., McPhadden said, "It's his hope the school will do the right thing."

A man who alleges he was sexually molested by a teacher at Bishop's College School in Lennoxville more than 40 years ago is the representative claimant in a petition to launch a class action lawsuit against the school.

The man, a British Columbia resident identified in court documents as A.B.T., has asked Quebec Superior Court for permission to claim $15 million from the school on behalf of him and other former students.

A.B.T. alleges in a claim filed last week the incident happened in 1962 when he was 14 and a boarder at the school in Lennoxville, now part of Sherbrooke.

He says he was asked to go to Harold Forster's room in the morning. When A.B.T. arrived, Forster removed the boy's pyjama bottom, fondled his buttocks, then spanked him with a brush.

Forster was on staff at the school from 1953-62 as house master, school chaplain, teacher and choir master. He was fired after A.B.T. complained. Forster died in a 1967 train crash in Britain.

The former all-boys school now is co-ed, with 265 students.

Bryan McPhadden, a Toronto lawyer who filed the suit, said "half a dozen" former BCS students have reported similar stories of abuse by Forster.

"We take it very seriously," said David Stenason, the school's Montreal-based chairperson. BSC is conducting its own investigation.

Named for one of US Representative Nita Lowey's (D-NY) constituents killed by a repeat offender drunk driver, this law, formally known as the .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration Law, withholds federal highway funds for states that do not pass .08 laws by 2004. (Federal, enacted 10/23/00)

Kristen's Act

Named in honor Kristen Modafferri, 18, vanished in 1997. Authorizes grants to organizations to search for missing adults who may be endangered due to diminished mental c a p a c i t y, age, or suspected foul play. (Federal, enacte d 11/9/00)

Jennifer's Law

Named for Jennifer Wi l m e r, 21, missing since 1993. Authorizes $2 million for states to apply for competitive grants to cover the cost of entering files of unidentified victims into national missing person databases. (Federal, enacted 3/10/00)

Aimee's Law

Named for Aimee Willard, 22, raped and murdered by a released killer. Penalizes states that release a convicted murderer, rapist, or child molester from prison and that criminal is later convicted of those crimes in a different state. The releasing state loses federal funds that instead will be used to compensate the second state for incarceration and prosecution of the offender. (Federal, enacted 10/28/00)

Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sex Offender Registration Act

Named for Jacob Wetterling, 11, abducted by a masked man at gunpoint near his home in St. Joseph, MN. The law mandates that each state create a very narrowly drawn specific program to register sex offenders. (Federal, enacted 1994)

Named for Bryan Dylan Nisenfeld, disappeared in the spring of 1997 from his college, Roger Williams University. His partial remains were found six months later. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 by requiring institutions of higher education to notify parents if their child is reported missing. Upon notification of a missing student, the authority has 24 hours to verify the student is safe before being required to notify parents. (Federal, enacted 2/10/00)

Clery Act

Named for Lehigh University freshman Jeanne Ann Clery, 19, assaulted and murdered while asleep in her dormitory room. Requires colleges and universities throughout the nation to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. (Federal, enacted 1990).

Amy Robinson Memorial Act

Named after a mentally challenged teenager abducted and murdered by co-workers. Mandates that employers provide written notice to parents or legal guardians who have children under 18 or dependents with mental or physical handicaps that their child is working with a person convicted of a violent crime. (Federal, introduced May, 2001)

Cassie's Law

Named for Cassie Dehl, killed by her abusive boyfriend. Provides for parents to obtain restraining orders on behalf of their minor children to protect them from abusive dating partners. (Idaho, enacted in April 2000)

Katie's Law

Named for Katie Poirer, abducted May 2000 from Moose Lake, MN, still missing. This law provides funding to improve the tracking of sex offenders and increases the access of law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges to information about criminals, etc. Requires sex offenders to give the state detailed personal information when they register. (Minnesota, enacted 4/3/00)

Michael Minger Act

Named for Murray State University student killed in an arson fire in his residence hall. Requires state higher education institutions to submit reports about crimes within 24 hours. Expands campus crime reporting requirements to include arson. (Kentucky, enacted 3/28/00)

Lizzie's Law

Named for Lizzie Thompson, 3, witnessed her mother's murder by her father. The father subsequently attempted to get court-ordered visitation with his daughter. This law prohibits the granting of visitation rights to a parent who has been co n v i c ted of murdering the other parent. (Massachusetts, enacted in 1997)

Sherrice Iverson Child Victim Protection Act

Named for Sherrice Iverson, 7, raped and killed. The perpetrator's friend was nearby but did not report the crime. This law requires witnesses to report sexual or violent crimes against children under 14. (California, enacted 9/6/00)

Brian's Bill

Named for Brian Beacon, victim of a hit and run crash. Extends the statute of limitations on hit and run cases and toughens penalties for drivers who leave the scene when a person is injured or killed. (Maryland, enacted May 1998)

Ashley's Laws

Named for Ashley Estell, 7, allegedly abducted from a crowded park by a paroled sex offender. This series of laws requires, among others, notifying the public when a sex offender moves into the community. (Texas, enacted 1995)

Did they not learn their lesson 20 years ago with the Biker Wars? Quebec only threw money at the problem after civilians got caught in the line of fire. Didn't they learn their lesson? If everyone has seen the problem of teen gangs coming for over 20 years, if we all knew that it was only a matter of time before cultural transmission would turn a curiosity of American violence into a uniquely Canadian problem (hell, even before gangs, I knew in university not to walk Toronto's Jane-Finch corridor, and that was well before gangs got organized) then why the long wait for preventative action?

"Money also has to be spent on literally hitting the gangs where they live, on educating 7- and8-year-olds to the dangers of gang life and attempting to corral the poverty-stricken neighbourhoods where street gangs recruit and thrive into joining the fight."

This is only occurring to you now? It's too late now. The genie's out of the bottle.

Everyone knows why the police have stalled. They will wait until the situation gets totally out of hand, then they will form Wolverine II and say they must concentrate all their attention on this new problem, thus excusing them for all the crappy service they've provided to us in the interim 20 years.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

CorneredA victims' advocate once told me how she dealt with a convicted child molester moving into her neighborhood. She brought him a plate of cookies, introduced herself, then said, "I know who you are, now you know who I am, now that the boundaries have been drawn, let's try to get along".

Reintegration is a cornerstone of the Canadian justice system. If you don't like it, petition your government, don't blame the former offender. For now it would be best to meet the man, establish parameters and try to get along. Confrontation in this situation will solve nothing.